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Communications Monoplies and closed systems
So I am here in Pittsburgh using the internet. That means that if I want decent speed and good reliability, I am using Comcast, because they are the only provider of cable service in the entire city. That means that no matter how bad their service is (took me over 2 weeks after moving here to get service) or how much they charge, I have no alternative. I am not happy about this.
It's a similar situation with wireless service, although for different reasons. Because of my contract, I can't go to another service unless I want to pay egregious fees, and if I do I need to get a new headset and probably transfer my massive address book by hand to the new phone.
Both of these problems should be relics of the past, but instead they exist because lawmakers are lazy. The internet is a UTILITY. Just like electricity and water, you can't really get along without it anymore.
Wireless phones are just that: phones. Back in the 80s lawmakers assumed that neither of these services would ever be used by the general public and thus decided not to regulate them as they do other communications mediums. This needs to change. Many people these days (myself included) are not bothering to have a landline due to the extra expense.
Wired phones all run on the same standard. There needs to be a set standard for wireless (I say GSM, so we are compatible with the rest of the world). Wired phone companies are not allowed to have contracts, so why should wireless? Wired companies are not allowed to do anything to there signal so only approved devices can be used. The same rules that apply to landlines should apply to wireless phones. Verizon's claim in there suit against the FCC that 'people are satisfied and there aren't a lot of complaints' is a symptom of people not knowing how to complain, not there being a lack of complaints.
As to the internet, it should be regulated like other utilities. There should be price fixing, there should be standards for service availability (if a house doesn't have electricity, that can be basis for a lawsuit, but if it doesn't have internet, that is just business, there is nothing the consumer can do but move), and there should be standards for quality of service that are enforced. Back in the late 90s the government gave the telecoms huge amounts of money top equip everyone with highspeed internet. That money has disappeared into the telecoms pockets without any consequences. And let's not get started on net neutrality.
It's time to regulate these industries, because self regulation certainly isn't working. These companies have been allowed to do whatever they want for too long, and thus tech areas that we helped pioneer are now falling behind other countries that have regulated them. If you look at our internet next to what they have in Europe or our phone technology next to Asia, we look pathetic, and it's because the telecoms have been able to make profit by doing the absolute minimum necessary to outdo there competitors. Inchworming our way up the technology tree with outdated and unfair business practices is no way to live (unless you're a telecom big wig).
It's a similar situation with wireless service, although for different reasons. Because of my contract, I can't go to another service unless I want to pay egregious fees, and if I do I need to get a new headset and probably transfer my massive address book by hand to the new phone.
Both of these problems should be relics of the past, but instead they exist because lawmakers are lazy. The internet is a UTILITY. Just like electricity and water, you can't really get along without it anymore.
Wireless phones are just that: phones. Back in the 80s lawmakers assumed that neither of these services would ever be used by the general public and thus decided not to regulate them as they do other communications mediums. This needs to change. Many people these days (myself included) are not bothering to have a landline due to the extra expense.
Wired phones all run on the same standard. There needs to be a set standard for wireless (I say GSM, so we are compatible with the rest of the world). Wired phone companies are not allowed to have contracts, so why should wireless? Wired companies are not allowed to do anything to there signal so only approved devices can be used. The same rules that apply to landlines should apply to wireless phones. Verizon's claim in there suit against the FCC that 'people are satisfied and there aren't a lot of complaints' is a symptom of people not knowing how to complain, not there being a lack of complaints.
As to the internet, it should be regulated like other utilities. There should be price fixing, there should be standards for service availability (if a house doesn't have electricity, that can be basis for a lawsuit, but if it doesn't have internet, that is just business, there is nothing the consumer can do but move), and there should be standards for quality of service that are enforced. Back in the late 90s the government gave the telecoms huge amounts of money top equip everyone with highspeed internet. That money has disappeared into the telecoms pockets without any consequences. And let's not get started on net neutrality.
It's time to regulate these industries, because self regulation certainly isn't working. These companies have been allowed to do whatever they want for too long, and thus tech areas that we helped pioneer are now falling behind other countries that have regulated them. If you look at our internet next to what they have in Europe or our phone technology next to Asia, we look pathetic, and it's because the telecoms have been able to make profit by doing the absolute minimum necessary to outdo there competitors. Inchworming our way up the technology tree with outdated and unfair business practices is no way to live (unless you're a telecom big wig).
Comments
The ordered break up by Judge Greene did break up the Bell System (now we have the at&t system 25 years later!) but it also had some bad parts to it to. some innovations were not put into place and a lot of knowledge was not shared. This resulted in waste. Where before Bell Labs did all the innovating and created new things now you had a bunch of competing firms all doing duplicate research.
With the Internet becoming what it is I think it is high time that it become separated from the Telcos and Cable companies. The backbone should be owned by a private company and access should be sold to all ISPs at the same rate. This will entirely nullify the Network Neutrality debate because the only people that would get screwed if at&t put packet shaping into their side of the network is their own customers!
What I see is a repeat of what happened before the Bell System was broken up. We have companies that own the network that are telling customers what sort of devices they can and can not attach to the network. Not because the devices (Bittorrent, Skype) will damage their network but because the companies want to sell their own versions of those devices (on demand movies, VOIP) to their customers.